Newsletter for: July 6, 2011

Happy July, Hipcooks, our newletter is here!

Hello from Hipcooks San Diego! I am here and we are buildng the beautiful new studio on 30th Street! Email me back should you wish to join the SD email list so we can invite you to the grand opening bash and give you the class calendar when posted! WHOOP WHOOP! (Start spreading the news...)

Hop Hop Hop, new classes are posted at Hipcooks EastLA, WestLA, Portland and Seattle! AND...Monika will be back in da haus teaching in LA old skool. Yeah. Here's what we're servin' up:

An all-new cocktails class:Cocktails 3 - Get infused! Welcome to Summer! By now your gardens are bursting with herbs, flowers and goodies. This class is a celebration of the lazy days and beautiful bounty of summer. Invite your friends to the porch, whip up a fun cocktail and delicious little nibble, kick off shoes and enjoy!

"Jamaican Me Crazy" is an aweome summertime class...think the West Indies, yo! But in PDX or LA, mahn!

Laissez le bon temp rouler! "The Ragin' Cajun": come on down, y'all, to the dirty south! We'll be fixin & servin' up Hipcooksified favorites with ol' southern hospitality. Hipcooks PDX: this is the first time you get this class, you Lucky Ducks!

For you healthy grasshoppers: "Endless Summer Salads!" This is our best Knife Skills class yet. This is a class all about hearty main-course salads - Perfect for vegetarians (or fooling meat eaters) looking for protein-rich, satisfying meals. All Studios.

3 zucchini - scour the Farmer's Market to find 3 of the largest ones you can find! 1 pound Portobello mushrooms, or a combo of Portobello and Crimni 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 lemon A handful basil, mint, or parsley - or a combo of all three 2/3 cup pine nuts, freshly toasted

To make the mushroom stuffing, simply sauté the garlic with a twirl of olive oil until just sizzling. Add the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes until the mushrooms are barely soft. At this point, your pan will be dry, so add the lemon juice and healthy pinch of salt to finish. When the mushrooms are tender and taste delicious, they are finished. You may like to add some chopped fresh basil (or mint or parsley or all of these). Wonderful – there is your filling done. Let it cool.

Slice the zucchini thinly, as evenly as you can with the biggest knife you have. In class, I use a mandolin to easily get nice even slices. Brush with oil and grill on both sides until prettily charred and soft. Set aside to cool.

Calculate 2 slices of zucchini per parcel, and about a heaping tablespoon of mushroom mixture per parcel. To assemble: lay two pieces of the zucchini flat on a cuttingboard so that they make a “t”, overlapping in the middle. Plop a spoonful of the mushroom mixture on top. Fold the parcel together by wrapping the lower zucchini slice first, then the upper. Place them all on a serving platter and sprinkle liberally with toasted pine nuts, a squeeze of lemon, some more chopped herbs and a twirl of olive oil. Yum!